Coaching is a very difficult and important aspect of collegiate sports. Nobody knows that better than the members of the Virginia women's basketball coaching staff. Head coach Debbie Ryan and her assistants have worked extremely hard this season to help players develop and prosper.
However, despite all the work the coaching staff has put in, the Cavaliers are still searching for their first ACC home win.
"It is very frustrating," Ryan said. "I mean, we have had great crowds. It is extremely frustrating that we don't have an ACC home win at this point. It is hard."
After a disappointing loss to Florida State, the team is ready to put the loss behind them and focus on getting their first ACC home victory.
"You have to take every loss into consideration and you have to learn from it," said junior forward Siedah Williams. "Being that we are so close, we are going to come together. We are going to bounce back from this and we are going to do it. It is just a matter of time."
The coaching staff is especially confident that the team will break through soon. Assistant coaches Jeff House, Curtis Loyd and Jennifer Hoover have been working hard with the team on their fundamentals.
"Assistant coaches work with us a lot," Williams said. "Especially with coach House, he works with the post. Before the [FSU] game, he had us out working on the little things that we worked on in practice."
The main role of an assistant coach is to help players develop and hone their skills. Virginia's coaches, however, often serve a much greater purpose. Ryan's assistants motivate players and help them make adjustments during the game. The vital role that these coaches play is appreciated by the players.
"All of them do it," Williams said. "They know the potential that we have. If we are not working at that potential, they are going to pull us aside and tell us what to do. It is all very constructive criticism. They are all pretty much even in knowing everyone's individual talents and strengths."
The coaching staff has proved to be more than adept at making mid-game adjustments. At halftime versus Florida State, the coaches made several changes that helped close the gap and adjust to the physical play of the Seminoles.
"I thought that we really adjusted well from the first half to the second half, which is a good indication of how well these kids do at adjusting," said Ryan. "We did a much better job of defending penetration and we got on the boards a lot better."
Despite the loss to Florida State, the Cavaliers are eager to get their first ACC home win. With such a young team, the leadership and motivation of the coaching staff will be crucial. However, Ryan expressed a desire for greater leadership and consistency from the players.
"I think that we will bounce back," Ryan said. "I think that I am still getting good leadership. We are getting very consistent play from the upper class but I need to get a little bit more from people coming off the bench."
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